Bowling alley



' May 31. 1927.

R. L. LLOYD BOWLING ALLEY Filed A ri 28. 1926 I Patented May 31j, 1927.

UNITED STATES RICHARD LINN LLOYD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

' BOWLING ALLEY.

Application filed' April 28, 1926. Serial No. 105,245.

This invention relates to games and toys and more specifically to an automatic bowling alley.

The object of this invention is to produce a bowling alley whereby the pins when knocked from their attached positions on the playing surface are automatically removed by being drawn upwardly into the housings and held in readiness to be set up when the in last pin has been removed from the bowling alley or at-any time before if the player so desires.

The chief novelty lies in the housing of the pins when they are removed from the playing surface or bowling alley.

Other novelty lies in the manner of setting the pins.

Still other novelty lies in the peculiar construction of the pins.

Further novelty will be disclosed in the drawing and specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side perspective of the bowling alley in operative position wih several of the pins removed.

Figure 2 is a section taken through two of the housings, one of the housings containing a pin, the other with the pin as positioned for playing.

Figure 3 isa section through the bottom of the pin.

Fig. 4 illustrates a fragmentary view of the slotted element in interlocked relationship with the tongue portion.

The invention consists of a frame 1 with a raised portion 2 composed preferably of a material of non-magnetic qualities, such as wood. Set in the raised portion 2 are magnets 3. Attached to the sides of frame 1 are resilient brackets 4 bent outwardly at 5 and inwardly at 6 with a groove 7 positioned at a second bend 8 which forms a stop. Slidably mounted on the brackets 4 is a plate 9 having handles 10 projecting therefrom. These handles have a slot 11 with a tongue 12 positioned in the slot. Mounted on the plate 9 are housings 13 containing resilient members 14 which are attached to pins 15.

Numeral 16 represents a section of the alley connected to frame 1 by a tongue 17 which fits in a slot 18. Other sections may be added in the same manner to form a complete bowling alley, each section carrying a support 19 at its 1unction point.

As shown in Figure 2, 20 is a metal socket. As shown in Figure 3, metal socket 20 has an aperture 21-through which the end of spring 14 may pass and be fastened against the under side ofthe socket 20, the

spring 14 passing through a groove 22 in the pin 15.

In'operation, the sections 16 are 'joined together and connected-to frame 1. The plate 9 carrying the housings 13 when in inoperative position is lowered so that the handles 10 rest on the frame 1 and the plate 9 rests almost flush with the raised portion 2. The plate 9 is then raised by means of handles 10 until the handles reach stops 8, when, because of the brackets 4 being bent inwardly, as at 6, the tongue 12 will pro ect through groove 7 and thus hold the plate 9 in raised position. As the plate 9 1s ra1sed' upwardly the magnets located in raised portion 2 will retain pins 15 in their 75 proper position on the alley. The springs 14 are not quite strong enough to overcome the pull of the magnets.

Upon the ball striking the pin, it will immediately fly upwardly into its respective housing because of spring 14. Thus the pit is kept clear of dead pins and there is no interval of time lost in removing the pins from the alley. b

When it is desired to reset the pins, the brackets 4 are pressed outwardly releasing the tongue 12 from the goove 11 and the plate 9 guided by brackets 4 will come to rest on the frame 1 the pins resting on their respective magnets. When the alley is to be 90 used again the same operation will be performed the magnets retaining the pins on the alley against the upward pull of the springs.

Having claim is:

1. In a bowling alley a frame, brackets attached thereto, a plate having pin housings mounted thereon, the said plate having handles projecting therefrom, said handles 109 having slots adapted to receive the brackets with tongues positioned therein, the said brackets having slots adapted to receive the tongues in the said handles, means for gathering said pins operable means for said plate 105 being movable on said brackets for setting the gathered pins. Y

2. In a bowling alley a frame, resilient brackets attached thereto, -a plate having pin housings mounted thereon, the said plate 110 described my invention, what I having handles projecting therefrom, means for gathering and setting the pins.

3. In a bowling alley a frame, resilient brackets attached thereto, a plate having pin housings mountedthereon, the said plate having handles projecting therefrom, said handles having slots adapted.- to receive the resilient brackets with tongues positioned therein, the said resilient brackets having slots adapted to receive the tongues in the said handles, means for gathering and setting the pins.

4. In a bowling alley a frame, resilient brackets attached thereto, a plate having pin housings mounted thereon, the said late having handles projecting therefrom a apted to receive the resilient brackets, said handles having slots with tongues positioned therein the said resilient brackets having slots adapted to receive the tongues in the said handles, the said resilient brackets having bends at their base so that said tongues in the handles will rest thereon when the plate is in lowered position, the tops of the said resilient brackets bent at right angles so as to form stops for the tongues in the handles when the plate is in raised position, grooves in the bends to receive the said tongues, the said resilient brackets bent inwardly below the stops to give added resiliency 5. In a bowling alley, a frame, resilient guidin brackets extendin therefrom, a plate s idable on said brac ets, means on said plate for covering the pins, said plate being slidable upon said brackets to set the gathered pins.

6. In a bowlingalleya frame, guiding brackets extending therefrom, pin housings slidably supported by said brackets, means insaid pin housings for gathering the pins, said pin housings being slidable on said brackets to set gathered pins.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RICHARD LINN LLOYD. 

